Early Childhood Studies

Start Date: 23rd September 2024

Places are limited and on a first come, first served basis.

BA (Ord) in Early Childhood Education and Care Level 7
• Duration: 2 years
• Yearly Cost: €720 (can be paid in 5 monthly installments of €144 each)
• Learner Fund Contribution: An additional €360 directly paid to the student for each year of studies, 6 months after you have completed the course providing you are still working in Early Years
• Overall Cost: €720* after the Learner Fund refund.

BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care Level 8
• Duration: 3 years
• Yearly Cost: €720 (can be paid in 5 monthly installments of €144 each)
• Learner Fund Contribution: An additional €360 directly paid to the student for each year of studies, 6 months after you have completed the course providing you are still working in Early Years
• Overall Cost: €1080* after the Learner Fund refund.

*NSLF funding will be available to support students who are progressing in their degrees i.e. not repeating years, subject to the continuation of the NSLF pilot scheme.

Apply Online

Please see Course Web page for Funding details,

Enrolment Deadline: 13th May 2024.

How to enrol?
Enrolment and payment are completed over the phone. To secure your place, please click on Application Weblink.

* Subject to QAB and validation approval
BA Early Childhood Education & Care

Why choose this course?
The diversity of this programme will ensure that Early Childhood Educators are equipped with the competence to navigate the ever-changing landscape of early childhood education and care in Ireland. It aims to enable Early Years Educators to support the holistic care and development of all children within their practice, with an emphasis on supporting children’s rights, inclusion, diversity and collaborative practice.

Early Childhood Educators will emerge from the programme as highly employable, child-centred professionals and leaders, with the tools to positively impact the lives of young children. Graduates can work as Early Years Educators, take on leadership and management roles within the sector, and undertake further academic study and research.

Students will be supported through this journey of personal and professional development by a team of highly qualified and experienced Early Childhood Education and Care lecturers and support staff.

How it works
Students can study from home through Chevron’s Virtual Learning Environment and engage with weekly study resources at times that suit their own schedule.

There are fortnightly live webinars to further support students’ learning, which students find extremely beneficial. These are recorded, therefore, if students cannot attend the content is accessible online after the live session.

Following the completion of each module students will have developed and gathered the knowledge, understanding and weekly feedback to enable them to complete their final assessment.

Professional Practice Placement is a requirement at all 4 stages of this programme, with 35% of the programme allocated for placement.

Learner supports and help
If students are struggling to understand weekly content they can post a question to the support forum and their lecturer will post a response to their query. Lecturers also have Open Zoom meetings each week so students can pop in to have a chat about module content if they so wish.

The Studies Advisor is available to support students with areas including academic writing, referencing skills and to develop a realistic study schedule for each module.

During Professional Practice Placement students will be supported by both their Chevron Supervisor and Placement Mentor.

Stage 1 (60 Credits) – (Only for learners who don’t have QQI level 6 Childcare Major)
Stage 1 of the programme will introduce students to the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector including legislative, quality and curriculum requirements. Students will explore concepts, theories and strategies associated with early childhood learning and development and will recognise the importance of a play-based, inclusive early learning environment. Students will embark on the journey of developing their own professional identity and pedagogical approaches to become reflective, ethical, child-centred Early Childhood Educators.

Stage 2 Stage 2 (120 Credits)
Stage 2 will provide students with a strong understanding of the key areas and concepts pertaining to the role of the Early Years Educator. Students will evaluate current early years practice from a global and national context and will examine strategies and practices to support the holistic development of children, with an emphasis on creativity, inclusion, equity, and collaborative practice.

Stage 3 (120 Credits)
Stage 3 will further support students to develop an in-dept understanding of key areas and concepts pertaining to the role of the Early Years Educator and Leader. Students will evaluate current early years practice from a global and national context and will examine strategies and practices to ensure a high-quality, complaint early years environment. Through research, reflection and professional practice placement students will further develop their professional practice and emergence as ethical and transformative leaders.

Stage 4 (60 Credits)
Stage 4 will provide students with a more comprehensive and complex understanding of ECEC in Ireland. Students will examine the role of management in ECEC and understand the theory and processes involved in the management of high quality ECEC and School Age Childcare services. Students will analyse existing research and engage in new research pertaining to the area of Early Childhood Education and Care.

Award:
BA (Ord) Level 7 or BA (Hons) Level 8 * Subject to QAB and validation approval

• Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Care Level 7
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care Level 8

Year 1 – (Only for learners who don’t have QQI level 6 Childcare Major)
Semester 1
• ECEC Historical and Current Contexts - 10 Credits
• Child Health, Care and Wellbeing - 10 Credits
• Early Childhood Learning and Development - 5 Credits
• Psychology of Child Development - 5 Credits

Semester 2
• Language and Multilingualism in Early Childhood - 5 Credits
• Curriculum & Pedagogy 1 - 5 Credits
• Professional Practice 1 - 15 Credits

Year 2
Semester 1
• Sociology, Social Policy - 5 Credits
• Creative Play in the Early Years Environment - 5 Credits
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - 5 Credits
• Professional Practice 2 - 30 Credits

Semester 2
• Literacy in the Early Years Environment - 5 Credits
• Advanced Early Childhood Learning and Development - 5 Credits
• Supporting Community and Parental Involvement - 5 Credits

Year 3
Semester 1
• Inspection, Regulation, Policies and Procedures - 5 Credits
• Curriculum and Pedagogy 2 - 5 Credits
• Supervision, Mentoring & Leadership - 5 Credits
• Professional Practice 3 - 30 Credits

Semester 2
• Inclusion and Children with Additional Needs - 5 Credits
• Children’s Rights and the Voice of the Child - 5 Credits
• Research Methods including a Research Proposal - 5 Credits

Year 4 (Level 8)
Semester 1
• Quality in ECEC- 5 Credits
• Advanced Pedagogical Practices - 5 Credits
• Leading Management in Early Years - 5
• Dissertation - 10 Credits
• Professional Practice 4 - 10 Credits

Semester 2
• Emerging Issues in Early Childhood - 5 Credits
• School Age Provision - 5 Credits
• Law in ECEC - 5 Credits

Work Experience
Professional Practice Placement
750 hours of professional practice placement are required in stage 2 and stage 3 (level 7), along with 250 hours in stage 4 (level 8).

Placements must be completed across three various age groups:
1. 0 to 18 months;
2. 19 months to 2 years and 7 months;
3. 2 years and 8 months to 6 years, including children with additional needs.

• A minimum of 40 hours must be completed with at least two of the age groups during each stage.
• A minimum of 40 hours must be completed with all three age groups by the end of Stage 3.
• A minimum of 40 hours must be completed in a second early childhood service during each stage.
• Placement must be completed in a Tusla-registered early years service (crèche, pre-school, Montessori, Early Start Unit or ASD pre-school class).

Tel: 01 6855 300
Email: info@chevrontraining.ie